Finally a beekeeper

As so many of you know, I have had the burning desire to become a beekeeper for many years! In 2015 my husband and I purchased our dream property in East Central Texas and my beekeeping dream had a platform.
I spent the first year gathering as much information as I could find. On both beekeeping and the natural native flora and fauna of my 12 acres. As I have learned this will be a never ending education for me and I am thriving on it.

Buying the Equipment:
I purchased a Langstroth style BuildaBeehive 10 Frame Deluxe Beehive Starter Kit from Amazon in October. My husband and I assembled the boxes and frames in about 2 hours on a Saturday in March. Hint: pre-drill the holes for the frames. Everything else come pre-drilled. The kit included a top quality smoker, hive tool, gloves and feeder. The included book was informative and great as a reference tool. Also included was smoker fuel pellets that work very well. I am just very blessed to live surrounded by an endless supply of smoker fuel.

Buying the Bees:
I purchased my bees from Bee Weaver. I placed my order in November. I chose to purchase a Nuc. A four frame deep box of established brood and new caged, fertilized queen. Luckily I realized in February the deep nuc frames would not fit in the medium supers in my Starter Kit. I was able to purchase a deep box from Bee Weaver and picked it up when I pickup my bees in mid-April.

Installation Day

The journey has begun!

Making your own

It seemed like a natural flow to make my own stuff. Most importantly you would know what was in it. No trying to decipher labels which now I can't read as my eyes age. And as an added bonus making your own is cheaper. Yes, at first getting started does have it's start-up costs.

I think the first thing I started Making Me Own was dog food in 2013. I researched and found recipes, tried them out on Buddy and Kream and made adjustments as needed. There favorite is chicken, brown rice and broccoli. I would change it up by using ground beef or turkey. Sometimes using up leftovers. The change in there activity level and Buddy's skin was quick and dramatic!

Then I moved on to making skin care products. Always a pricey part of the grocery bill! I started with toner for my oily skin, found the many uses for coconut oil and aloe vera. This research for DIY personal products lead me to essential oils. My first purchase was Tea Tree. It is still one of my "go-to" favorites.

My newest endeavor.......beekeeping!
 

The purchase of 11.5 acres in Caldwell County last spring has made my dream of beekeeping a reality. I have purchased my hive, taken a few classes and found a local group.
I will keep you updated on my progress.

Remember...be authentic...be true to yourself!

My Return to Nature Journey

Back Story

I have always been a naturalist at heart. Always had a strong connection to the earth. I am a Capricorn, earth sign. My parents were both caring, practical people that loved the natural world and taught me to treat it as a gift from God.
I learned to care for the planet from my father. He was a Boy Scout and Boy Scout Leader. He taught me to leave our campsite as we found it. He never littered and always disposed of chemical correctly.
My mother taught me the life long lessons of preventative care and simple remedies. Our pediatrician, Dr. William Fackler gave my mother typed notes on what to do, at home for most common childhood illnesses. I think my mother still has these notes. As a result of this upbringing, my sister and I both have very healthy immune systems.

First Steps

My journey began almost without my knowing it. Our city began recycling and we were the first to jump in full force. Like my mother, I raised my son's with preventative medicine and they now have healthy immune systems.

My first conscious steps to a natural lifestyle began in the Fall of 2010 when I began my Texas Master Naturalist certification class. I began to learn how humans had altered the natural flow of the planet. Most of the alteration have been catastrophic to our planet. And my mission as a Texas Master Naturalist is "to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities."

This mission has propelled me to educate myself and make significant changes in my home. I have studied native Texas plants to find not only better landscape products, but to find their medicinal value. Learning about the benefits of native wildlife, I found how our use of chemicals is endangering wildlife and insects and drastically altering natural flows.

I hope you enjoy and find my posts useful. A word of Caution: I will give you information and tell you of my personal results. Remember each of us is a unique and special being. Just because it works (or doesn't work) for me you could have a completely different result. Therefore, acquire information from multiple sources and only do what you know to be right for you and your family.

Be Authentic....be true to you!

The puppys are sending their support to Benn at Navy boot camp.

My First Wildlife Rescue

I received my first rescue request from Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation on February 11^th, one week after my training. The request was to rescue a “baby bat”. I accepted the task and called the contact person, James. He had found the bat on the floor in his downtown apartment. He said he did not want to leave the “baby bat” because of threat from his cat.

When I reached the location, downtown New Braunfels James was sitting in the front with the bat wrapped in a dish cloth. I came prepared with the equipment WRR required, a small pet carrier and gloves. I examined the bat. It was not a baby, but an adult pipistrelle. He seemed to be barely breathing. I guessed James cat had attached it and was not sure if it would survive the night. James offered the dish cloth. I placed the wrapped bat into the pet carrier. James was relieved and gave a $10 donation for WRR.

I began the 10 minute drive back to my house. Planning on watching the bat overnight and drive it to Kendalia in the morning, if he survived. About half way home I heard the familiar rattle of the pet carrier from the rear of my SUV. Assuming the carrier had merely “shifted” I thought nothing of it. Quickly it was followed by a faint “scratching” sound. I immediately turned down the radio to listen closer. Continuing to drive the “scratching” sound was getting louder and closer. My mind is now racing and I know the bat is loose in my truck. Within blocks of my house I still do not pull over. Then as I place my cell phone in its usual resting place, the cup holder between the front seats. There in the other cup holder, lit by the cell phone is the very much alive bat. In the commotion of rolling down all four windows and pulling into my drive way, I hear the “scratching” noise again.

It is dark, but after a quick inspection of my truck I assume the last noise I heard was the bat leaving thru the open window. I left the windows rolled down all night just to be sure. Saturday morning I drive to Seguin for a day of volunteer archaeological excavation. Again I leave my windows down.

Sunday evening my son and I leave church on Loop 337. The sun has just set. Then I feel something crawling quickly up my boot under my jean leg. I’m sure I screamed and pulled the truck into the shoulder in front of the high school. Throw open the door and just from the truck. A few stomps and kicks and the very upset bat falls to the ground. He is chirping and begins to crawl toward the road and traffic. I quickly find a piece of cardboard in my car and redirect him away from harm. He is quickly crawling on the ground. I use the cardboard to lift him up and gently toss him into the air. I am relieved to see him take flight.

My son later tells me he thought I had flipped out and had no clue what was going on until he saw the bat. My mother is reluctant to ride in my truck again. All in all, a successful wildlife rescue and release.

Camping in Texas in the summer

The overwhelming topic (again) is the weather. South Texas is in a major drought this Summer of 2009. My 12 year old is on the city track team again this year and sitting at the meets even at 8:00 am is torture.
Our greatest fear is when it does finally start raining, it will not stop. New Braunfels has had its share of floods. I have experienced the 2002 and 1998. But even 2007 saw so much rain the rivers were closed. For a town that relies on summer tourism to keep it afloat during the winter we live and die by the rivers. Of course with Schlitterbahn they always have the right amount of water and always do a good business. Yes, even locals go to Schlitterbahn. A season pass is a great deal and gives the kids a safe place to hang out on hot days.
The 4th of July my friend Ernie & I made a huge mistake and took the boys on a last minute camping trip to the Guadalupe River. 105 temperatures, burn ban and loud partying campers made for a less than enjoyable three days. The 5 hour river trip did us in and we left a day early. A benefit of camping within 10 minutes of your house.
Note to self: no camping in Texas between Memorial Day & Halloween, no camping in campgrounds with out water, electricity, marked sites and free showers. And get back to my dream of buying an RV. Now that's camping!
Stay cool and pray for rain in moderating.

Changing of the weather

Summers in South Texas are makeup melting, headache producing and energy zapping days. Just trying to get dressed in the mornings can change your attitude from a fresh new day outlook to a why-go-to-all-this-fuss mindset.
But yesterday morning the weather did changed. I remember this day every year. It's the day I breathe a little easier. The world seems a little clearer. The day I want to bake an apple pie!
The weather change does not always last. It can be 101 next week. But yesterday the weather did change and that means hope and faith to me.